Deryk's statement of the events on September 11th, 2001.

After the tragedy of Tuesday September 11, 2001 in the United States, I was like millions of others from all regions, all walks of life, all religions; that is, I was shocked and grieved by the horrific loss of life resulting from terrorist attacks.

As you visit my website, designed as a place to share my art, please know that my heartfelt prayers go out to the thousands of bereaved families, friends and co-workers of the victims.

It will take wisdom and tolerance to guide us through the years ahead.

You may wish to read some of the information that I have found to be the most rational in the midst of all the anguish, starting with an excerpt from the following speech delivered by General Smedley Butler in 1933. (General Butler was one of the few Americans to be twice awarded the congressional Medal of Honor.) Click here for the transcript of "War is just a Racket."

Other readings include:

Uri Avnery, who states that the only remedy for terrorism is to remove its cause: http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/main.html

and Noam Chomsky, who has said that we have a choice: "we may try to understand, or refuse to do so, contributing to the likelihood that much worse lies ahead." http://www.zmag.org/chomnote.htm

Clare Short, British International Development Secretary, spoke on the BBC to urge the US not to do anything to make life worse for the ordinary people of Afghanistan and there are many others speaking out with messages of tolerance and pleas that the "democratic" world will not add to the number of innocent victims.

My friend Pauline, from Yorkshire England, wrote a song of peace based on the actions of the cellist of Vedran Smailovic, the man who played cello to promote a message of peace during the shelling of Sarajevo. Smailovic has been an inspiration to my family as well and is the inspiration for a children's book that includes my paintings.

Here are the words to Pauline's song: Prayer for Peace.

I will conclude with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson, and pray that our leaders will keep in mind that decisions made in the heat of anger and despair could become the cause for enormous regret in the future: "No nation can behave without a decent respect for the opinion of mankind."